The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a 60-day extension for the proof of loss deadline for flood victims of Hurricane Irene from Nov. 23, 2011 to Jan. 23, 2012 under the National Flood Insurance Program. The extension goes into effect for flood policyholders in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia with dates of loss between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4. This is the second extension from FEMA, the original extension …
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) was brought under scrutiny yesterday at the state Board of Public Utilities Hearing at Monmouth County Library headquarters in Manalapan. JCP&L customers from throughout the area came out to criticize the power company’s job after Hurricane Irene struck New Jersey in late August. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities held the hearing, with a second hearing scheduled for today in Morris Plains, to gather evidence against the company in an attempt to rectify why JCP&L allegedly performed so poorly after the hurricane. Board of Public Utilities President …
Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday urged those impacted by Hurricane Irene to seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency - and Neptune will serve as FEMA's hub site for New Jersey. Beginning Wednesday, the Joint Field Office in Neptune will serve as the field office for all federal and New Jersey Office of Emergency Management relief efforts throughout the state. "Representatives from the departments will be located here to ensure that we're all working together, officially and effectively, in a coordinated manner to get assistance to folks as quickly as possible," he said. …
President Barack Obama has declared Monmouth County a major disaster area. Congressman Frank Pallone, D-6, said he was notified of President Obama's decision on Saturday. Obama also declared Middlesex County a major disaster area. Sixteen New Jersey counties are now eligible for possible relief from FEMA: Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren. Gov. Chris Christie previously requested assistance for all 21 New Jersey counties, but damage assessments need to be concluded before …
Freehold Township Mayor David Salkin released a video update on Hurricane Irene’s impact on the municipality. During the eight-minute video Salkin discusses the damages to Jackson Mills Road and provides information on the township’s plans for a brush pick-up on Sept. 6. In addition, the mayor provides Salkin urged Freehold Township residents to heed road closure signs, noting that the signs are there because of hazardous conditions. “You are risking not only damaging your vehicle, you are risking getting killed,” he said. Salkin said he understands the frustration residents feel because of …
Two Middletown men are being charged with theft after they were caught stealing power lines downed by Hurricane Irene in Matawan, according to police. Police say that Edward Smith, 30, and Joseph Cappola, 21, rented a Home Depot van and attempted to solicit hurricane debri clean up from residents on Ned Drive Tuesday morning. According to Matawan Lt. Ben Smith, the men then began collecting power lines pulled down by a large tree that fell Sunday afternoon during the heavy winds after the storm. Lt. Smith said Sgt. Jerry Hourihan was patrolling the area when he noticed the men attempting to …
Freehold Borough Mayor Michael Wilson released the following statement through the municipality's email notification systerm: Freehold Borough sympathizes with those residents who lost power during the recent hurricane. We understand that this powerful storm has wreaked havoc with many of you. We have been in frequent contact with JCP&L and their officials informed us that a few thousand Borough residents remain without power. As you know, many other communities are still without power. JCP&L officials have indicated that they are doing everything humanly possible to completely restore power …
A Keansburg man was arrested at the Holmdel High School Evacuation Center on Saturday night and was charged with lewdness, a fourth degree crime. Muhammed Ikram, 32, of 18 Seaview Ave. in Keansburg is alleged to have deliberately exposed his genitals to a child under the age of 13 around 10:30 p.m. on August 27, said Holmdel Det. Louis Torres. The girl and her mother reported it to police at the site. Ikram was taken to Holmdel Police Headquarters and processed before being taken to Monmouth County Correctional Institution at midnight. Ikram was released on $5,000 bail Tuesday, August 30, …
Some Freehold Township residents may be waiting two to five days for power to return, according to Township Administrator Peter Valesi, who has been in regular contact with JCP&L representatives after Hurricane Irene swept through the area Sunday. The utility company reports over 14,000 without electric in Freehold as of 3 p.m. Monday. “However, we’re hearing development after development,” Valesi said, noting that power may return sooner than initially estimated. Homes in Stonehurst and Raintree, for example, got electric back Monday morning, he said. Freehold Township Department of Public …
Hurricane Irene left a mess of downed trees, split power lines and damaged roads. Public works crews and utility company employees cleared streets and worked to restore power to the 14,000 in Freehold who were still without out on Monday. Share your photos of the storm and its aftermath by clicking the green upload link in the photo gallery above, or email your photos to jacklyn.corley@patch.com.
Freehold Township will be conducting a one-time special brush collection on Tuesday, Sept. 6 in response to damage from Hurricane Irene, officials announced on the municipality’s Web site. Brush must be cut to a maximum length of eight feet and a maximum diameter of eight inches and placed on the curb by 6 a.m. The Freehold Township Recycling Center, 66 Jackson Mills Road, will be open Tuesday, Aug. 30 through Saturday, Sept. 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The location is usually only open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No commercial vehicles are allowed at the center, and only Freehold Township…
The Garden State Parkway south of Exit 98 has reopened, state officials said. According to the state Department of Transportation, southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway south of Exit 98 at Interstate 195 had been reopened as of 3 p.m., though there are flood-related detours between Exits 98 and 91. Police are also allowing residents back onto Long Beach Island in Ocean County as of 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The eastbound lanes of the Atlantic City Expressway at Pleasantville will be reopened later on Sunday.
President Barak Obama addressed the nation Sunday on the federal role in the response to Hurricane Irene. Obama, speaking from the Rose Garden, praised the work of emergency responders from local, state and federal level and pledged the full support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to assist state and local officials as they deal with the continuing threat of flooding and power outages along the eastern Seaboard. “I have told Governors and mayors throughout the affected areas, if they need something, I want to know about it,’’ Obama said. …
JCP&L reports over 140,000 Monmouth County households are without power as of 5:38 p.m. Sunday. Freehold had the lion's share: 14,271 JCP&L customers had lost their electric, which was more than any other region in the county. The Freehold Township Office of Emergency Management advised residents that flooding resulting from Hurricane Irene remains a danger as of Sunday afternoon. “Do not drive through standing water and do not walk in or around streams, creeks or rivers,” an alert from OEM stated. Tree limbs and power lines were down in many areas of Freehold Township and Freehold Borough. A…
While some homes suffered damage from falling trees, Freehold Borough for the most part escaped the severe flooding neighboring municipalities experienced from Hurricane Irene, according to Fire Chief Ryan Bailey. “The borough fared pretty well for the storm,” Bailey said. Approximately 25 to 30 firefighters were on hand and the borough transferred fire dispatch operations from the county to the firehouse, he said. Emergency crews began fielding storm-related calls at about 9:30 p.m.; the calls began to slow at 6:30 a.m., according to Bailey. The storm peaked in Freehold Borough between 3 a.m…
Firefighters from Freehold Township Independent Fire Co. No. 1 were responding to a call on Jackson Mills Road when a tree fell on the fire truck, Chief Tom Luongo said. The four firefighters in the truck were not injured, but the truck will need repairs, according to Luongo. Freehold Township Independent Fire Co. No. 1 had approximately 30 firefighters on duty Saturday into Sunday, responding to problems caused by Hurricane Irene. “It’s been really hectic. We’re up to 70 emergency responses, not including flooded basements,” Luongo said. “There are a lot of trees and wires down.” Problem …
Hurricane Irene left its mark on Freehold Township and Freehold Borough early Sunday morning. Downed trees, flooded basements and power outages were common problems in the area. View photos of the storm's aftermath above and add your own images.
The tornado watch has been lifted, but Hurricane Irene's onslaught continues throughout the Jersey Shore and on up through Monmouth County on Sunday. Damaging winds and heavy rains associated with the storm eventually led to thousands of customers being left without electricity in Monmouth and Ocean counties. As of about 3 a.m., there were nearly 50,000 JCP&L customers without power in Monmouth and 22,000 without power in Ocean, plus at least 12,000 Atlantic City Electric customers in Ocean without power as well. Officials said to expect those numbers to rise significantly as the most …
Patch editors, writer and photographers have been sharing their observations here through Saturday night and into this afternoon. And so have many of you. Tell us what you're seeing in your neighborhood. Flooding? Trees down? Structural Damage?Let us know where shelter and other aid may be available to your neighbors. (Note: Our system requires us to OK comments from users, so if you don't see your comment show up immediately, we may have stepped away briefly; if so, we'll get your comment up just as soon as we return).
Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering crews began responding to reports of downed trees at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to a press release issued by the county. Emergency personnel will be monitoring the effects of Hurricane Irene overnight, the release said. “We are expecting Hurricane Irene to impact the county for at least the next 12 hours,” Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone said in the release. “We are hoping that residents have heeded warnings and evacuations and are prepared for the possibility of high winds, power outages and flooding.” Acting Office of Emergency …
